Hasbro Bop It Extreme II

The Bop-It Extreme II is an activities-based electronic game that can be played by one or more people. However, if you value your sanity, turn back now. The Hasbro Bop-It Extreme II is evil in its purest form. It seems like a harmless toy, a bit of clean fun, but once you bop you just can't stop.

The original Bop-It looked like a colourful boomerang with a big "Bop It" button in the middle and a knob on either side. Each knob was a different activity designed to test your reflexes. As the Bop-It said the name of the activity you had to quickly do what it before it says another activity. If you don't do it in time, the game is over. The Bop-It Extreme II is the sequel and as such it has new activities bringing the total to five. The new activities are "flick it" and "spin it".

When the game begins, a poorly replicated beat starts up and a voice says bop it, twist it, pull it, bop it, flick it and so on. If you fail to do one of these tasks in time, it mocks you and then gives you a score for your efforts. When playing "Solo" mode, the objective is to beat your own score. However, Solo is not the only mode available.

You can play Solo or Pass it modes. The pass it mode is a multiplayer game and is a load of fun. Each player is given a set of activities until the device says "pass it". The next person in turn is handed the bop it and has their turn until each failing player is knocked out and only one person remains. If you want to corrupt the childlike innocence of the Bop It, this mode can also be played a little differently and with a little more liquid. If you were to substitute the player being knocked out, to a player having to, say, scull a drink, the Bop It doubles as a fun drinking game as well. However, since Hasbro recommends it for ages 8 and up, we're pretty sure this is not its intended use.

It sounds fairly simple doesn't it? The truth is, the game is quite easy at first but it gets more and more difficult as time goes on. It speeds up, slows down, repeats itself and tries all manner of tricks to make you turn, pull, spin, flick or bop the wrong thing at the wrong time. However, if you are in a crazy, wacky and masochistic mood you can try the other difficulty setting known as "Beat Bop". The mode where the computer tells you what button to press is called "Vox Bop". Beat Bop replaces those commands with a different sound for each knob. Mix in the background sound and it quickly becomes confusing and therefore, far more challenging.

We had a whole lot of fun playing with the Bop-It Extreme II. It is very strange to be angry and frustrated with the game while also having fun at the same time. Being mocked and belittled by the device definitely contributes greatly to your level of determination but if you're not careful, you will play it for hours at a time. In an age where fun is generally obtained in front of a television set or computer monitor, it is good to see that good clean fun still exists. Well, except for the drinking game thing.